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Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

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Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#151
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The "Start" button was never really about starting things in the first place. What did you find when you opened the Start menu ( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Windows_95_St... )? Programs (click on one to start the program), Documents (click to start a program handling the file), Settings (click to start a Control Panel applet), Find (click to start a find dialog), Help (click to start the help vie…

This reminds me of the best "feature" that windows 95 had to me as a kid. If you clicked the start menu, then hit alt + -, you'd get the standard menu for playing with a window. Minimize, Maximize, Move (greyed out), and a few others. Importantly though was that Close was an option. Clicking it would remove the start button. This lead to lots of fun playing with computers in stores at the time, closing the start butt…

I never stumbled into that one. What I do remember from Windows 95b through 7 is if the keyboard focus was on the taskbar and you pressed Alt+F4, it brought up the Shutdown/Restart/Logoff dialog. That made it possible to cleanly shutdown the computer blindly from the keyboard. Win,Esc,Alt+F4,R,Enter

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#152
post #29

This is a pretty fun submission. I like peering into the lives of computer users that don't have the level of computer literacy I'm used to day to day. It's a good reminder. > This answer is not helpful. There is no start button. Because it's just a little windows icon now - easy to forget that that doesn't just make sense to some people. > Thank you, Brian- I would surely never have looked there, for anything, never…

There is a Windows button on their keyboard?

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#153

This is a non-story. Start menu -> Windows Accessories -> Notepad Am I missing something?

Yes, the story is not that notepad is in some weird place in windows 10 - it is still where most HN readers know to find it. The story is about how regular people deal with computers, as can be read in the comments. It's like that story about how one day the google search 'facebook login' took people to a forum page that let people comment using their facebook credentials, and we got to find out how many users just t…

It was a news article on ReadWriteWeb, with Facebook comments. The number of people that not only blindly clicked the first search result out of habit, but also didn't realize that they've landed on a news article on a completely different site was stunning. Truly an Internet classic, thanks for reminding me.

> Ok If I have to I will comment,I love facebook so right now just want to log in if thats ok with you..lol Keep up the good work...

> The new facebook sucks> NOW LET ME IN.

> I WANT THE OLD FAFEBOOK BACK THIS SHIT IS WACK!!!!!

> EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY NOT JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!1111

> I just want to log in to Facebook - what with the red color and all? LOLLLOLOL!!!!!111

> This is such a mess I can't do a thing on my facebook .The changes you have made are ridiculous,I can't even login!!!!!I am very upset!!!

> Seams like all of the comets i read agree with me you people messed up royal i was enjoying facebook now i am thinking of getting rid of it all

https://web.archive.org/web/20100303073613/http://www.readwr...

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#154
post #129
post #29

This is a pretty fun submission. I like peering into the lives of computer users that don't have the level of computer literacy I'm used to day to day. It's a good reminder. > This answer is not helpful. There is no start button. Because it's just a little windows icon now - easy to forget that that doesn't just make sense to some people. > Thank you, Brian- I would surely never have looked there, for anything, never…

> I like peering into the lives of computer users that don't have the level of computer literacy I'm used to day to day. It's a good reminder. Yep and sometimes it happens in unexpected places. I just went to the dentist the other day. The receptionist accidentally moved her task bar to be oriented vertically on the left and couldn't get it back to the horizontal bottom position. We're on very friendly terms so she a…

Yes, when I volunteered to help senior citizens with computers right click was something none of them knew they could do, nor could they remember it from week to week. Phones and web sites are much easier.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#155
post #69
post #52

Fifteen years ago, one of the Microsoft fanboy arguments against both Linux and LibreOffice (then OpenOffice.org) was that neither worked exactly like Windows / Office. Then Microsoft comes along and changes everything. The Ribbon instead of the pull down menus. Now which office suite works more like what users have used for a couple decades? Windows 8 comes along with a totally different UI. So different that ordina…

Office 2007 ribbon was a terrible release. I am an Office power user and I still have to dig through well hidden “advanced” dialog boxes that were previously exposed in the UI to do things that I remember Office was capable of doing. I still hate that change.

When the ribbon was introduced, I went from a semi-expert (not quite power user) with Office to a newbie, struggling to find even the most basic functions such as indent-outdent! Now, after a few years of occasional use (I'm usually editing in Emacs or an IDE) I can sort of wing it, but in my opinion the ribbon is simply Wrong.

I get what another commenter said, who grew up with the Ribbon, but it's very difficult to adapt to if you've memorized the old menus and dialogue boxes. Thus, Libre Office now feels like a much more familiar and accessible tool.

Similarly, when Windows pivoted in v. 8 to a tiled interface, the more traditional UI's like KDE and Mac remained familiar and comfortable. Now Win10 is okay; it feels like Win7, only slicker and with lots of hidden power features (such as power shell, Linux subsystem, better copy-and-paste in cmd, etc.).

Putting back the things that worked was the right thing to do, and clearly someone with some sense of listening to the users is still in charge there.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of the best "feature" that windows 95 had to me as a kid. If you clicked the start menu, then hit alt + -, you'd get the standard menu for playing with a window. Minimize, Maximize, Move (greyed out), and a few others. Importantly though was that Close was an option. Clicking it would remove the start button. This lead to lots of fun playing with computers in stores at the time, closing the start butt…

I never stumbled into that one. What I do remember from Windows 95b through 7 is if the keyboard focus was on the taskbar and you pressed Alt+F4, it brought up the Shutdown/Restart/Logoff dialog. That made it possible to cleanly shutdown the computer blindly from the keyboard. Win,Esc,Alt+F4,R,Enter

It's Win+X, U, U now.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#158
post #29

This is a pretty fun submission. I like peering into the lives of computer users that don't have the level of computer literacy I'm used to day to day. It's a good reminder. > This answer is not helpful. There is no start button. Because it's just a little windows icon now - easy to forget that that doesn't just make sense to some people. > Thank you, Brian- I would surely never have looked there, for anything, never…

If you've never seen user testing where users try to use your software, it's one of the most eye opening experiences a software engineer could have. I've seen a number of these tests at MS in early 00's when I worked there. It's as though the people using your software are from another planet, with a completely different set of rules in their head as to how programs should be used.

This kind of exposure tends to generate a lot of empathy towards the user, as well as to the demands of the designers and user experience specialists. It also helps engender the right kind of intuition as to the level of UX complexity and cognitive load non-engineer users are prepared to tolerate. And that level is very, very low indeed.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#159
post #69
post #52

Fifteen years ago, one of the Microsoft fanboy arguments against both Linux and LibreOffice (then OpenOffice.org) was that neither worked exactly like Windows / Office. Then Microsoft comes along and changes everything. The Ribbon instead of the pull down menus. Now which office suite works more like what users have used for a couple decades? Windows 8 comes along with a totally different UI. So different that ordina…

Office 2007 ribbon was a terrible release. I am an Office power user and I still have to dig through well hidden “advanced” dialog boxes that were previously exposed in the UI to do things that I remember Office was capable of doing. I still hate that change.

i liked the ribbon! it expanded out the nonsensical menu dropdowns from the previous excels. most users memorized shortcuts because they didn't want to remember functions they needed four levels deep. it's not like the ribbon destroyed old excel shortcuts; you could still use them, as you type them out they show up as small text box above your ribbon.

the one thing i thought was nice about the ribbon is that they remind me of the old 123 / commands. as you slash through the 123 menus they popped up where the input box is, changing across the screen. the ribbon is sort of like that? if you type out the ribbon shortcuts the ribbon changes across the screen.

Re: Where is Notepad in Windows 10? (2015)

#160

If I have to support anyone using Windows 10 the first thing I do is recommend they install Classic Shell / Open Shell. The UX on default Windows 10 Start Menu is unacceptable. https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

I love Classic Shell. Open Shell seems to not be super active though, sadly.

Does it need to be active (beyond possibly having to fix stuff after each new windows release)? Are there any big open issues? (Honest questionl
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